Fed Ex Tips on Shipping Cookies

This post is dedicated to the friendly bakers who’ve emailed asking for advice on packing and shipping cookies. Lately, I haven’t had much to say on the subject due to some bad experiences shipping and receiving homemade goodies. In one case, cookies I sent arrived stale. In another, some cookies I received tasted like the plastic container in which they’d been packed. Compared to staleness and plastic taste, crumbling is the least of the problems, but that’s an issue too. Cookies break. I’d almost given up on shipping cookies, but this week Fed Ex dropped off a couple of cute decorated sugar cookies, some guidelines for packing, and a friendly reminder that sending cookies the most expedient way possible will ensure freshness.

I know a lot of you are pros when it comes to shipping cookies and probably have some clever packing tips to add, but here are the basics from Fed Ex which include some important dates.

Crumble-Free Packing Directions:
• Place the baked goods in a sturdy container, using wax paper to separate each layer. Use crumpled wax paper to fill in any spaces
• Secure the lid of the container with tape to keep it from accidentally popping off
• Place the container in a sturdy corrugated cardboard box that’s just a bit bigger than your container, allowing for some cushioning. Use bubble wrap or other packing materials to cushion the container tightly in place
• Shake the box gently – if you can feel or hear any movement, add more cushioning.
• Seal the box with heavy duty packing tape.
• Bring the box to your local FedEx Office location and ship using FedEx Ground or FedEx Express delivery service this holiday season

Baker’s Tips:
• Don’t forget to include a note card with the shipper and recipient’s contact information inside the package in case the shipping document gets separated from the package
• When thinking about what to bake, small and sturdy treats – like sugar cookies, brownies and biscotti – are some treats that ship the best
• Ship before Friday, December 17 with FedEx Ground for the most cost-effective delivery guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas
• When choosing FedEx Ground, be sure to send your cookies right after baking so that they are still fresh when they arrive, as shipping typically takes 3-5 business days
• For a last-minute gift idea, you can send your homemade treats via FedEx Express as late as Thursday, December 23 for overnight delivery in time for Christmas
• For more tips and affordable shipping ideas, visit your local FedEx Office and speak with a trained Pack & Ship expert or visit http://fedex.com/us/holiday/

Anna,
Every time I come by your site I find 20 things of interest! You are prolific!

I knew a guy who would always get cookies from his Mom – he would share the wealth with all of us. His Mom nestled the cookies in containers with air-popped pop corn. Reaching your hand in to a fluffy bin of popcorn to reveal a perfect cookie you know had come from all the way across the US always made then taste that much better… not to mention, popcorn is a lot more “green” than foam peanuts 🙂

One more thing I didn’t see… I used to do this when shipping cookies to family in the military… a slice of bread included in with the cookies will help to keep them fresh.
My brother in law used to always ask me… why did you send a piece of stale bread? 🙂

Anita, I’ve been there. That’s one of the reasons I tell people to send biscotti. It doesn’t break easily and it lasts a long time. I think brownies are a good thing to ship if you leave them whole and send them along in a disposable pan.

Thanks so much for this basic information. I did my best last year at packaging and shipping cookies but a couple of the varieties arrived pretty banged up….as in pile of cookie dust. Same great taste but would have preferred the recipients could have dipped them in their glass of milk rather sprinkling them in 🙂